


the way to the heart is through the stomach or something

by recreationalvampirism



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, M/M, Slow Burn, at least I think so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-06-11 13:39:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15316686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/recreationalvampirism/pseuds/recreationalvampirism
Summary: Lup has had a tiny crush on Barry since the end of sophomore year. Barry’s been in love with Lup since he saw her in eighth grade. Taako decides to do what he does with almost everything in Lup’s life-- meddle. Unfortunately, Taako has his own romantic problems.Modern High School AU taking place in junior year.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Basic context: lup and taako live with merle because the foster system is a fuck and separated them and merle got taako and decided to adopt him and spend a few years trying to find lup and they succeeded and theyre all happy and also magnus is their brother and another foster kid  
> Trigger warning of domestic violence, not shown but mentioned in a later chapter, mostly heavy hinting. I’ll post a warning at the beginning when we get there. This is my first published fan fiction so go easy on me lol

Lup had a crush on Barry goddamn Bluejeans.

"Of all people," Taako said, "You... like... Barold."

"No," she told him. "I don't."

"He's right behind you."

She whipped her head around to look, but there was nobody there, and Barry himself sat at the opposite end of the rectangular table, quietly eating his food with Magnus, who was talking about the newest dogs at the no-kill shelter he volunteered at. Julia sat by him, their hands barely touching. Lup turned around again, sighing.

He smirked. "You are such a fucking liar, Chalulu."

"Fine," Lup said. "I think Barry's kind of cute."

"It's the glasses," Taako commented.

Lup smiled a little. "Yeah."

"So are you going to ask him out?" Taako asked her, in a slightly loud voice. He kept Barry in the corner of his eye.

"Keep it down!" She snapped, lowering her head a little. "And no. I'm not."

"Why not?"

"Because he probably doesn't like me that way!"

Taako snorted, loud enough for all their friends in that lunch period to look over. "Okay, Lulu." Lup must have been fucking oblivious to not notice the gigantic crush Barry had for her since forever. "Hey, Barold!"

"Yes?" Barry yelled back, as quietly as possible despite how loud the cafeteria was.

"Come here!"

"Fuck you, Ko," Lup mumbled, sinking into her "aesthetic" sweater.

Barry pushed his lunch tray a bit towards Magnus, who started eating Barry’s fruit cup, and walked to the twin's side of the table, his ears turning pink. "H-hey Taako, Lu-lup, what--what's up?" His face was red just from acknowledging her.

"Hey, Barry," Lup said defeatedly, tearing a chunk off her bread roll and swirling it in watery gravy before popping it into her mouth.

"We have a question, Barold." Taako grinned the terrifying smile the twins shared. "Do you like anyone?"

Barry went completely red and looked between Lup and Taako, but mostly at Lup, who was quietly eating her strangely purplish-brown chicken fries and not looking at either of them. "No-no-nope. Nope. I don't like, I don't like anyone. I don't, um, I don't know why you're asking me that?" His voice became higher with every word until he was almost squeaking.

"You're right," Taako shrugged. "I don't have a reason, I was just wondering. See ya later, boychik." He waved Barry off and turned to Lup, his voice lowered. "You saw that, right?"

Lup looked unsure. "He was probably embarrassed that you asked him that out of the blue for no reason. I'm sure anyone else would have been."

"Lup. Lulu. Chalupa. My dearest, most beloved sister. Understand that I say this with the utmost love and respect. You are the biggest dumbass I have ever had the pleasure to know."

"Say that again when our progress reports come in," Lup shot back.

"I'm sorry that our geometry teacher is a mess and I don't care about him or about how he has no family or pets or even a wife," Taako said. Lup shrugged in agreement. They were both intelligent, but Taako spent class doodling and carving vaguely obscene things in the desks while Lup actually paid attention and swept through all of their classes without taking a single note. It was probably one of the reasons Barry liked her.

Lup got out her notebook, the one with all of their aunt's recipes and a few they'd collected or made themselves. The margins were full of flame doodles. Lup turned to a later one and looked at the ingredients. "We are making... beef stroganoff tonight," she told Taako, tapping the title.

"Sounds good," Taako said, "and Magnus  will like it."

Lup grinned a patented twin's grin, and the bell rang. "It's settled." She shoved the notebook into her messenger bag (they didn't bother being careful with it, as they had the real thing in a nice Moleskin in their kitchen with Magnus and Merle). "See you in chemistry, Koko." She left in a sweep, and dumped her tray and set it on the counter with all the others in one somehow graceful movement.

Taako sighed. His sister was so beautiful, but so, so dumb.

He picked up his own tray and dumped it, heading to theater production.

 

Merle,” Magnus groaned. “Do you have to play  _ that  _ song?”

Merle turned down the volume dial on his phone speaker. “What song would you prefer I play?”

Magnus shrugged. “Like, some Earth, Wind, & Fire, maybe?”

“Adore Delano,” Taako called over the sizzling over the beef in the pan. Lup was slicing an onion next to him.

“Both of you have horrible music taste,” Merle told them, and turned up the speaker. “She thinks my tractor's sexy...” he sang loudly in harmony with Kenny Chesney.

The three of them groaned in unison.

“Are you staying after dinner, Tay-Ko?” Magnus asked Taako, setting down plates at the table.

“Probably not,” Taako replied, not looking up from the pan.

“Sazed again?” Lup asked tiredly.

“He  _ is  _ my boyfriend,” Taako pointed out. “Anyways, we're going to be making stuff for the band bake sale that's on Saturday.”

“He isn't even in band,” Magnus said.

“Julia isn’t in band either. Is it a fucking sin if my boyfriend cares about me and wants to help?” Taako snapped.

“It is when it's Sazed,” Lup muttered.

“Do you guys want to eat tonight?” Taako demanded.

Magnus sighed. “Yes,” he said, giving Taako puppy eyes.

“Fine.” Taako angrily dumped the food onto the plates Magnus had set, and ate as fast as possible before he left in a huff.

“Fucking Sazed,” Lup said.

“I guess that means the nail painting session is off,” Magnus commented, looking at his chipped nails.

Lup shrugged. “We’ll do it without him.”

 

Taako climbed into the bottom bunk at roughly one in the morning, trying to be inconspicuous but failing.

“Hey,” Lup said, staring at the ceiling.

Taako jumped. “Hey.”

“How was it?”

“Good.”

“Okay. Goodnight.”

“Night,” Taako mumbled, pulling a blanket over his nose.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> abuse is hinted at in this chapter, as well as internalized transphobia. a character starts to say a slur but is cut off.

Tell me the details again, Barold,” Lup had her hands ingrained into Barry’s shoulders, her eyes staring daggers. He knew they weren’t for him, but it didn’t stop the ball of dread in his gut from growing.

“A lot, a lot of people got, uh, like, really sick from those cupcakes Taako made, like they’re still figuring out how many, but the numbers are high right now… at least, um, at least thirty-five people so far…” Barry stammered, trying to keep his cool.

Lup relaxed her grip on his shoulders slightly. “Thank you.” She tried to relax her own shoulders, but her body remained stiff. She paced around the band hall. “Taako has been baking cupcakes for years. He knows how long to bake a cupcake. Sazed, however…” She trailed off, deep in thought.

“Taako’s boyfriend?” Barry offered weakly.

Lup nodded.

Magnus rushed into the band hall. “Taako took the fall for those cupcakes. I just heard from him, he just made the batter and icing and Sazed said he had it under control and told him to go home! It was Sazed! Not Taako!” He shouted the last part at the tittering underclassmen.

“Where is he?” Lup demanded.

Magnus looked a little crushed. “He told me he went to go ‘fix things’ with Sazed, whatever that means. He told me we shouldn’t go after him, he could handle it.”

Lup seethed. She grabbed her music binder and slammed it on the ground.

“Please don’t do that to your clarinet,” Barry said nervously.

She laughed. “He doesn’t think we know.”

Magnus nodded. “He acts like he’s all discreet, but…” He sat on the carpet, chipping away at his red nails.

Lup leaned down and swatted at his hands. “No picking.” She straightened up and bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t trust that slimy bastard, not after everything I’ve seen on Taako.” She looked at Barry.

Barry’s mouth went dry.

Magnus looked between Lup and Barry, confused. Then he said, “I think we should still go after--”

“I think you guys should wait,” Barry interrupted. His heart was pounding, but he continued. “I think you should trust Taako. He said he wanted to de-escalate whatever was happening, and if you guys bust in, that will just make everything worse. Wait a few hours, while they’re still figuring stuff out at the hospital, and if he’s not home,  _ then _ go and see what’s up.”

Lup and Magnus considered this. “That is smart,” Magnus said.

“Thanks, nerd,” Lup added, smirking.

Magnus’ face fell. “Barry, you have a car, right? My truck is a little messed up and Taako took the car.”

“Of, of course,” Barry said. He didn’t want his feelings for Lup sway his actions, but he sort of genuinely liked Taako, or at least had an admiration for him.

“I call shotgun then,” Magnus said, to Lup’s chagrin.

Barry drove the two of them home in near silence, listening to Magnus nervously chatter about his dogs, Steven and Fisher, and how they liked people and Fisher liked music, and watching Lup stare pensively out the window through the rearview, obviously worried. He tried to obey every traffic law as usual, but he liked looking at the freckles on her teakwood-brown skin and the midsection of her frizzy hair where it changed from black to red, as well as the slope of her long, slightly upturned nose. Taako’s hair was bleached a blonde that contrasted well with his skin color, and had a sort of shiny look around him that was obviously attractive, but Lup was more down to earth with hers, with the small scar on her cheek and the tooth gap she didn’t bother hiding when she laughed, like Taako did.

He sighed and pulled into the driveway as Magnus instructed, and let him unlock and open the door. When they came inside, two dogs, a golden retriever and a… white golden retriever (?) slowly came up to Barry and sniffed him tentatively.

Magnus scratched behind the white dog’s ear. “This is Fisher,” he said proudly. He saw Barry’s somewhat questioning look and added, “She’s a Slovak Corvac mix, according to the vets.” Barry spotted the black on her paws and nodded.

“I need to do something with my hands,” Lup said. “What do you guys want to eat?”

“What are you making for dinner?” Magnus asked.

“Red beans and rice. They’re gonna be in that crock pot for a few more hours.”

“Well, what about mac and cheese?”

“I’m kind of lactose intolerant,” Barry said.

“Laaame,” Magnus said.

“I can make a vegan version,” Lup said. “It’s not that hard for me.”

It really wasn’t. She boiled a pot of penne noodles, put together some ingredients, and put it in the oven. When she took it out, she sprinkled crumbled bacon on the top and left it on the oven. “Serve yourself,” she said, taking a quarter for herself.

“You said vegan, Lup,” Magnus said, taking another large portion for himself.

“None of us are vegan,  _ Magnus _ ,” She replied.

Barry took as much as he could without feeling bad, and tried a bite. “Oh,  _ wow _ ,” he caught himself saying.

Lup smirked.

He ate all of it. It didn’t taste like typical mac and cheese, but it was still savory and had that nice homemade taste to it that all good food had. The bacon crumble more than made up for it not tasting like real cheese.

“This is amazing,” Barry said.

“I know,” Lup smiled.

Barry looked over at their dogs, flopped over in the living room. “They don’t beg?”

“I had some help with training them,” Magnus said. “Julia’s dad. He’s good with this stuff. They don’t beg.”

Barry tried not to watch Lup eat, because that was creepy, but he did notice she kept looking at the time in different places-- on the microwave, the oven, the clock, her phone. He wanted to tell her it was going to be okay, but he didn’t want to lie to her.

“I think we should go now,” Magnus said, after they’d decimated Lup’s pasta and maybe an hour and a half at most had passed after Taako had gone to Sazed’s.

Barry reached for his keys.

 

Lup was sitting in the backseat, thinking of all the ways she could murder Sazed. She thought of her baby brother’s thin arms when he got home late, with faint bruises and his tired eyes, and her hand automatically drifted to the lighter she kept in her pocket.

Nobody fucked with Taako without immense regret. She made sure of that, since she got back. She took care of herself while she was in that foster home with all those boys, and she wanted him to feel safer than she ever had.

She felt bad for dragging Barry into this. She doubted he would want to talk to her again after all this. She wondered, idly, if he knew about her. Maybe. Maybe not.

Thinking about Barry turning on her because she had a dick and thinking about Sazed made her want to kick people’s asses on XBox Live while chugging Mountain Dew and listening to Taako and Magnus cheering behind her. She missed those nights. Hopefully, after she took Taako home for the last time, she’d get them back, with all the other nights of voguing and hemming dresses and roller skating at the rink.

Lup tuned in to Magnus giving Barry directions to the house when she saw the car. “Stop,” she said. “That’s it.”

Barry was still pulling in when Lup jumped out.

“Holy shit!” Magnus yelled. “Lup, no!”

“Lup, yes!” she yelled back, fumbling with the door. Locked. She pulled a bobby pin keeping her hair off her face and got to work. Easy. Sazed didn’t stand a chance. She stormed in.

She saw a kitchen, and a hallway, and a door opening. Sazed’s bitch face poked out from behind it, and recoiled when he saw her. “What are you doing here,  _ bitch _ ?” He snapped at her.

“Getting my brother away from you,” she snarled back.

“Get the fuck out of here or I’ll make you,” he told her, slowly coming closer, trying to be intimidating and failing. This guy had nothing on the kids at the home.

“Make me,” she said, noting the way Magnus silently snuck past Sazed into the hallway. She told herself to make him breakfast tomorrow.

Sazed took off his shirt and threw it on the floor. “Let’s throw down,” he snapped at her.

She took off her own shirt, realizing too late what she’d done. She looked over at Barry, knowing her chest was too flat for her bra, and her hips didn’t portrude the way Julia’s did. He’d know.

But all she saw was Barry’s bright red face, his mouth opening and closing, and she threw her stupid shirt on the ground, picked up Sazed’s and put it on.

He gaped at her. “You took my shirt, you fucking t--”

Her fist caught him in the face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> follow me on tumblr @ iolith


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for mentions of abuse

Taako was curled up in the corner of Sazed’s room, still shaking. His nose  _ ached. _ He pressed at the bruises on his legs, and pressed on the one forming on his eye. They hurt. All of them did, varying degrees of little pains that felt like a lot. That was what being around Sazed felt like, little pinpricks of annoyance and dislike that added up to something that wasn’t love anymore, and he felt horrible. He felt horrible for not loving Sazed anymore when Sazed loved him, the only guy who ever had. There was no other boy for him. Sometimes, you had to settle for bruises. It could be worse, a lot worse. Especially after all the people he could have killed today.

Oh god, the people.

He heard noises from the hallway and then the door opened and he braced himself for something else, a lecture, a punch, a showing to the door. He shut his eyes tightly.

“Taako,” someone whispered, and his head whipped towards the sound of Magnus’ voice.

“Maggie?” he asked weakly. He wiped blood from his nose

“Come on, we’re leaving,” Manus told him, gently hoisting him over his shoulder.

“Where’s Lup?” Taako asked immediately.

“Throwing down with Sazed,” Magnus mumbled.

“ _ What?” _

As Magnus walked out the door, he saw Sazed crumpled on the floor sans shirt, Lup wearing his and keeping her own clenched in her fist, and Barry.

“Whas’  _ Barry _ doing here?” Taako inquired.

“Driving,” Lup said, blood dripping from her now-crooked nose. “Let’s go home.”

Magnus placed him in the backseat. After Lup buckled her seatbelt, he put his head on her lap. “Lup,” he said.

“Yeah?”

“Our noses still match.”

Lup looked at him blankly and then laughed. “They sure do.” She wiped her nose with the shirt she had in her hand.

“That’s Sazed’s shirt you’re wearing there.”

“Yeah. He took off his shirt like we were in some fighting movie, so I took mine off and put his on.”

Taako registered Barry’s face getting pink in the rearview mirror. “Power move,” he said.

Lup laughed, and at that moment, he felt good.

They pulled into their own house, and Barry stayed inside his car. He started to stay something, but he was stopped by Lup putting her hand on the door. “You’re staying for dinner,” she told him, wrapping her arm around Taako’s shoulder.

“Uh, okay,” Barry said.

Taako silently congratulated his sister on being a fucking badass.

As they headed inside their house, Taako said, “Hey, Fruit Lups?”

“Yeah, Kokonut?”

“Thank you for being you.”

He looked up at his sister’s face as he broke from her hold and saw the look of slight dismay. “What are you doing now.”

“I love you, Lululemon,” he called over his shoulder as he grabbed Barry’s hand and dragged him into their room and locked the door.

“ _ TAAKO _ !” he heard her shriek from behind the door.

“Barry,” he said, turning to him, “You’re going to learn a few things today.”

“ _ Don’t listen to him Barry!” _

“Shut up,” Taako yelled. He crossed to Lup’s desk and found the notebook he was looking for. He turned page after page, until he found the one he wanted. He tore it out, folded it into a paper crane, and handed it to Barry. “Try making these later. Follow directions to the T or I will physically manifest in your house and spit in your soy milk.”

“Taako.”

“I mean it, Barold.”

“Taako.”

“What.”

“Are you okay?”

 

Magnus patted Lup’s back as she held paper towels to her nose. “Maybe we should go to the doctor,” he suggested.

“I don’t wanna freak out Merle,” Lup replied, weakly. “He might be able to do something.”

“I’m sure you’re taking into consideration both you and Taako probably have broken noses and not the fact that Taako is up to something involving Barry.”

“Shut up,” she muttered.

Magnus laughed. Then his face became a little more serious. “Does Taako have a thing for him or something?”

“What? No.” Lup thought about Taako’s face when he realized she liked Barry. Yeah, not happening.

“Then what are they talking about?”

Lup shrugged.

Magnus called Merle, who came home early from work to berate them and then take them to the hospital, apologizing to Barry for his kids’ hijinks. “I’m surprised Magnus isn’t hurt at all.”

“Yes, sir,” Barry replied politely.

Merle grunted and turned up the country radio.


	4. Chapter 4

Their noses were fine, it turned out, just broken cartilage. “Sazed couldn’t punch for shit,” Magnus told Barry at lunch on Monday. 

Lup sat next to Julia, picking at the cold fajita meat in her tupperware. Taako sat by Magnus, watching people go through the lunch line. Usually they sat on the opposite end on the table, but something changed since Saturday.

“There’s a new student,” Julia said.

“Yeah, the big scarf guy,” Magnus injected. “He showed up last week.”

“Big scarf guy?” Barry echoed, taking a bite out of his chalupa.

“He has a huge scarf,” Julia said, “But he’s pretty cute.”

“What are you eating, Barold?” Taako asked Barry pointedly.

“I made it,” Barry said quickly.

Lup looked at his tupperware. “Is that… a chalupa?” she inquired, her voice quiet.

“Uh, yeah, yeah,” Barry replied.

“Can… can I have some?” Lup asked, quieter.

“Sure,” Barry said slowly.

She swiped his container so fast he could barely see it. He did see her take a huge bite and chew, slowly. Taako’s smile reminded him of a shark’s.

“This is really good,” Lup said. “Where did you learn to make this?”

“Uhhh….”

“So,” Magnus interrupted. “We’re going to the lake on Friday. Who’s all coming?”

Julia took his hand. “Me.”

Lup discreetly slid Barry’s container back to him and said, “I need lifeguard practice, so yeah.”

“I’m in,” Taako added. “I need to see how my new summer looks are going to turn out. Barry?”

“I-I think I might pass.”

“Why?” Magnus asked, brows knit together. “It’s not just us. I know Lucretia’s coming, along with Carey and Killian… Noelle’s skipping out so she can work on a physics project… so is Avi… Johann’s coming, not just us.”

“Well…” Barry felt his mouth dry slightly. “I can’t really swim well, and I don’t have a swimming binder.” He braced himself for the comments he usually got.

“I have some old ones you can borrow,” Magnus shrugged. “No big.”

Taako frowned. “Those will be way too big. I can take one in, though.”

Lup’s face was completely blank. She said, carefully, “I can help you with the swimming part, if you want.”

“Oh, okay, okay,” Barry replied. “Maybe I will come.”

The bell rang, and he left as fast as possible, mulling over the conversation.  _ Magnus,  _ of all people? He was pure Mexican muscle, and there were a few occasions (mostly Facebook pictures) he’d seen him without a shirt. He couldn’t tell at all. Barry barely got by with his straight-fit jeans. He had absolutely no facial hair, he barely hit 5’5”, but his “sturdy” build helped. He felt a little jealous, knowing nobody would ever question someone like Magnus, who was over six feet tall with more than just peach fuzz on his upper lift. His chest felt weird and a little constricted as he thought about it, so he started thinking about piano pieces to practice.

 

Taako strutted through the hallway, weaving through tiny freshman, his heels clicking. He had gotten dress coded for them once by a particularly vindictive teacher, but Principal Cap’n’port (“Don’t call me that”) didn’t particularly care after he spent years around a certain man of short stature who wore nothing but Hawaiian shirts, khakis, and sandals with knee-high white socks. The dress code was standard, just gender neutral.

Taako spotted something or someone approaching-- he wasn’t sure what, he just saw a large bundle of gray fabric, recalled Jules mentioning a new person with a big scarf, and sighed. Lenny Kravitz?  _ Really? _

Then they got closer, revealing the features of a young man who was tall, dark,  _ and  _ handsome, the whole damn package. His dreads were tied back in a ponytail, revealing an undercut that Taako found undeniably hot. “Holy  _ shit _ ,” he yelled, loudly enough for the poor guy to drop his books in surprise, then look around, embarrassed.

“Oh, fuck,” Taako said, quieter, and knelt down to help him pick them up. “Sorry, bubbeleh, you’re just…  _ wrow _ .”

“Oh, uh, thank you,” Strange Hot Boy replied, in a shaky British accent.

“That accent is fake as hell, but I can respect that. I’m Taako, you know, from TV.”

“Alright, I don’t know, but I’m Kravitz.” SHB, who now had a name, nodded politely.

“Like the scarf guy.”

“Yes, um,” Kravitz paused. “I’ll see you around, then, Taako.”

“Right back ‘atcha, my dude.”

Taako tried to resume his gait, but felt a little shaky. He hadn’t felt like that in a long time.

 

“So, you’re making those red velvet cookies with the white chocolate chips for us on Friday, right?” Julia addressed nobody in particular at dinner that night as Magnus and Lup fought over the last piece of sesame chicken from the takeout box.

Lup whipped her head around, her fork still in the chicken. “Yeah, I will.”

“Good.” Julia pressed a kiss to Magnus’ cheek, who dropped his fork in surprise. Lup stuffed the chicken in her mouth triumphantly.

Taako sighed dramatically as he picked gracefully at his chicken and fried rice. “I don’t know how much longer I can stand these  _ buffoons. _ ” He chewed thoughtfully. “How was Barry’s chalupa, Lu?”

“You’re adopted,” Lup said, completely deadpan, though muffled by the food in her mouth.

Taako fake-swooned convincingly. “Oh, I never knew! How will I  _ ever _ recover from the shock!”

“How’s the hot guy you met today?”

“I’m sure he’s fantastic after meeting me. We apparently have chemistry together-- both the class and the feeling.” He flipped his hair back.

“Kravitz?” Julia asked. “Yeah, he’s pretty interesting. He was blushing after your encounter.”

“ _ Really _ .” Taako drew out the word with obvious delight.

“Yeah! You should ask him to the lake thing we’re having.”

“Maybe I will.”

“This’ll turn out interesting,” Magnus commented.

Lup sighed. “However will I deal with your pining?”

“I could say the same about you and Barry,” Taako shot back.

“Barry, huh?” Merle said. “Interesting.”

“Nooooooooo,” Lup moaned, clutching her head in her hands. “Why must you all do this to me.”

“Because we love you,” Magnus grinned.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” Merle added. “Barry’s a good kid. The Hallwinters are a good family.”

“The fucking  _ whom? _ ” Taako demanded.

“You didn’t know his last name?”

“ _ Apparently not _ ,” Taako snapped, throwing his hands in the air.

“What’s next, Barry not being his first name?” Magnus laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> robbie/pringles is no longer invited to their hangouts because he almost got them busted for weed once


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this chapter took a long time, i had color guard practice five days in a row and it sucked haha

“Shut up and take it,” Taako snapped.

“Sorry, I don’t like being stabbed with needles!” Barry snapped back.

“Sorry, I don’t know your measurements and had to guess at the size of this thing and guessed too big!”

“How long is this gonna take?” Lup asked from the other side of the bathroom door.

“Almost done!” Taako yelled back.

“Hurry up, then!”

Taako spent another minute stitching, then snipped the last of the thread. He expertly tied it in a knot. “Hold up your arms.” He cut off the extra fabric off the binder. “There you go.”

“Thanks, Taako.”

“No problem, boychik.” He hesitated, then added. “I guess now’s the time. I would give you the ‘hurt my sister and I will destroy you’ talk, but if you hurt her, she will destroy you herself, and she will laugh while doing it. Basically, be careful.”

Barry’s face turned red. “Is-is it that obvious?”

Taako sighed. “I hate both of you.”

 

“You brought them!” Julia exclaimed excitedly, running up to Magnus and hugging him. Nobody was sure if she was referring to Lup’s cookies or the dogs. Johann perked up when Fisher came to him--or at least held his head up. His borzoi, Void, sniffed at Fisher before flopping on the grass.

“Are you gonna actually swim or are you going to write your music stuff the entire time?” Magnus asked.

“I brought my violin for a reason, man,” Johann replied.

“Is your phone or anything valuable in your pocket?” Magnus asked again, his mouth twitching.

“Y--”

“I already checked. It’s on the ground now. It’s time to have fun.” Magnus picked him up and ran towards the lake shore, then threw him across the water. Johann screeched when he broke the surface of the water, an unholy sound previously unknown to man.

“ _ Yeet _ ,” Lup shouted, jumping up and down and clapping. Taako immediately made a mad dash for Angus, who was sitting by Lucretia’s feet, graciously keeping one hand firmly planted on the brim of his wizard’s hat.

“Taako,” Lucretia said politely, looking up from her sketchbook, “Would you deign to explain to me what the fuck you’re wearing?”

Taako struck a pose. He wore a wizard’s hat, a neon green crop top with red sequin stripes, a pastel pink loosely knit cardigan, rainbow swim shorts he cut to be  _ extra  _ short, and holographic strappy sandals. “I’m serving you the best look you’ll ever get, Luce.”

“Please don’t say that in front of Angus,” Lucretia replied. “He might get the wrong idea and think that what you wear is okay.” She turned to Angus. “It’s never okay to wear something like that,  _ ever. _ ”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Don’t listen to her, Ango.” Taako took off his cardigan and hat and dumped them on her lap. “She’s  _ uncultured _ .” He knelt so Angus could get on his back, kicked off his sandals, and raced after Carey and Killian.

“Hey, Kravitz!” Julia paused mid-splash, the water falling short of Magnus. “Glad you could make--” She was cut off by a small wave of lake water to the face.

“Hello, Julia!” He called back, raising a hand in greeting, lowering it slightly as he saw Taako. Taako paused as soon as he heard his voice. The light in his eyes died as he remembered his crop top and booty shorts.

Lup bent over, laughing so hard she had to sit down. She took the chance to take off her flip flops, choker, and red jacket. Then she laughed some more, trying to stop and failing.

“Shut up!” Taako yelled at her. She flipped him the bird in response, then turned to Kravitz, who was standing awkwardly a few feet away from her.

“You’re Kravitz,” Lup said.

“Yes, I am,” Kravitz replied.

“I’m Lup, Taako’s favorite sister.”

“How many sisters does he have?” Kravitz knit his brows together, looking concerned. He had nice eyebrows.  _ Good one, Taako. _

She grinned. “Just me.”

“Oh.”

“Good to meet you!” She said in a singsongy voice, and sauntered off to talk to Lucretia.

 

“ _ HATCHI MATCHI BARRY WHY ARE YOU WEARING JORTS TO THE LAKE!!! _ ” Taako screamed.

Barry finished stepping out of his car. “I don’t have any other shorts!” He called to Taako, fuming in the middle of the lake. They weren’t even shorts before that afternoon. “I was late because I had to cut them!”

Taako buried his head in his hands. Angus patted him on the back. Taako waded towards the shore. Angus started to follow him, but Taako stopped him. “Don’t get near him, Agnes,” he whispered, his eyes full of rage. “He has  _ no fashion sense whatsoever _ .”

Lup was sitting with Lucretia under two umbrellas and one by her side, as Lucretia sketched and Lup appeared to be playing Johann’s violin (Did she play?). Barry wanted to go sit with them, but he thought Taako might kill him.

Taako stormed up to him. “ _ There should be an extra pair in the car _ ,” he hissed, heading towards Magnus’ truck. He tossed a pair of regular blue swimming trunks towards him. “Go change in the public bathroom.” To Taako, this was one of the ultimate insults. He went to go change.

 

“Does he always dress like that?” Kravitz asked him.

“I’ve unfortunately never seem him without denim.”

“What about formal events?” Kravitz’s eyes were wide.

“Jeans, a white tee, and a blazer.”

“Truly horrifying.”

“Says the guy who wears a Lenny Kravitz scarf.”

Kravitz laughed. “We should go out more together.”

“Like, just us?”

“Yes.”

Taako took his hand. “Wanna go to Denny’s after this?”

Kravitz didn’t let go. “Definitely.”

Taako dropped it. “I just want you to know,” he started, feeling nervous, “I just got out of a shitty relationship. As in, it ended literally six days ago. It would be nice if we could start slow, if you’re down with that.” He looked at the surface of the lake.

Kravitz took both of his hands. “Of course. I would never want to force you into anything.”

Taako looked up and smiled, feeling something warm in his stomach.

“How’s this?” Barry said, walking towards them and ruining the moment. As he got closer, the memory of his fifth grade crush popped into his mind (he was pretty sure it was mutual, but it only lasted, like, a few months). Leave it to Taako’s brain to produce the most embarrassing moments at inopportune times. He gave Barry a once-over and gasped, his hands going to his mouth as he realized something.

“Barold,” he said, eyes swimming with pride, “you’re not wearing any denim.”

“Okay,” Barry said uneasily, “I think I might hang out with Lup and Lucretia n--”

“If you’re not planning to confess your undying love, there’s no point,” Taako said. “Plus, it might be awkward.”

“Why? We’re all friends.”

“Is he talking about Lucretia and Lup?” Carey said, right in Barry’s ear. He jumped.

“Does he not know?” Killian asked.

“Know what?”

“They dated freshman year,” Taako said. “It was kind of intense.”

“So they still like each other,” Barry said, watching Lup grab Lucretia’s wrist and coax her to the edge of the water.

Carey laughed. “No. They’re great friends, though.”

“I’m just saying it might be awkward for Lup.”

“Why?”

“Oh my god,” Carey said.

“I know,” Taako sniffed. “He’s so……. You know.”

“Innocent?” Killian offered, weakly.

“Stupid.”

 

“Why did you bring three umbrellas again?”

“It’s hot out,” Lup said. “People might have wanted them.”

“Why do you have three umbrellas?”

“I like them! They’re cute. I have more at home,” Lup said. The tips of her ears were turning red.

“Leave my weird sister alone,” Taako told the group. “What game are we playing?”

“Best Day, Worst Day,” Julia said.

“What’s that?”

“We go around and all tell the story of our best day. Winner gets a cookie.” Julia held up the tupperware with only a few cookies left. “Same with the worst day.”

“Let’s go counterclockwise,” Magnus suggested. He was to Julia’s left. Lup snickered.

“Guess I’m going first,” Julia said. “My best day was homecoming with Magnus.”

“Aw,” Carey said.

Julia smiled. “It was Carey, Killian, Taako, Lup, Magnus and I, in a group, first to the game, then to the dance. Carey and Killian were in the stands, and the rest of us had to set up on the field during halftime to play Sweet Caroline. It was awful. We had to do it for ten minutes straight while Taako and Lup had to make rainbow motions with their flag every time one of the homecoming couples walked by. I still have it stuck in my head.” She paused. “After the game, we went to Whataburger’s because we were hungry. Carey and Killian were cuddling in the booth across from Magnus and I, super cute. Lup and Taako put a table next to us and scared the shit out of some guy who looked like a guy who messaged Lup on Facebook for coffee, who was obviously like thirty messaging a seventeen year old.” Lup laughed with Julia. “I barely remember the dance. Who even got homecoming queen and king?”

“Oh my god,” Killian said. “I don’t remember either.”

Taako shrugged.

“Okay, well, I’m done,” Julia said. “Carey, your turn.”

“Oh,  _ God _ ,” Carey said, inciting a laugh. “I guess it was when I asked Killian to be my girlfriend?”

“Oh, yeah,” Magnus said.

“Yeah, we’d gone on a few dates but I didn’t know if  _ she _ knew they were dates, or if I was exaggerating everything. So Magnus made me a duck shaped box out of wood, and I had this nice necklace that I was never gonna wear, and we went to Olive Garden, where I had never been. The breadsticks were  _ amazing _ .”

“She had like twenty stuffed into her purse by the time we left. Nobody noticed,” Killian said approvingly.

“So we eat our food, it’s great, we order dessert,” Carey continued, smiling. “The little dough things with chocolate and powdered sugar.  _ That’s _ when I pull out the box. She was wearing this really nice red dress, too… She didn’t skip a beat when I asked her, immediately said yes. That’s my best day. Time for Killian.”

“Skip me,” Killian said. “I’m trying to think of something to top you.”

“It’s Lup time, then” Taako said teasingly.

Lup paused. “My best day was going to Merle’s house.”

There was a stillness in the air. Everyone knew only bits and pieces of the story.

“We got separated pretty early on, as you all know, and we went to different homes. From what I hear, he got to go to the coed one while I went to the boys home, which is some really shitty luck.” She sighed. “So enter years of spending very little time with families who did not want me, till I was eventually too old. Then, I get placed with one, which has two other foster kids who were both adopted.

“So I show up at this stupid house. I’m in a bad mood because I had to deal with someone trying to stick a pencil up my nose that morning and because Greg fucking Grimaldis wouldn’t pay up for the fifteen dollars he stole a month earlier because he said I’d be back in a week, and I’m thirteen, so that money is a big deal. And I’m at the door and this old guy with a ponytail and eyepatch opens up and there’s poppies in his beard, and I’m like, really? And he says, I’m Merle, Merle Highchurch, come on in, we’re all excited to see you. And I’m thinking the entire time, ‘you’re not gonna be saying that very soon.’ But I go inside anyways, with my garbage bag full of clothes, to some huge kid and another in a wizard’s hat who looks like my baby brother, and there’s lemonade and cookies, and they tasted super good. That’s my best day.”

“Oh,” Magnus said after a minute of silence.

“Okay, I thought of something,” Killian said. “My turn.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, this is just a filler chapter!

“Why have I been roused at this hour of the morning by my dearest twin brother?” Lup mumbled into the phone. She looked at the time. One a.m.

“Kravitz wanted to walk me to the door,” Taako said.

“Ugh,” Lup said. She climbed down the ladder of the bunk bed, threw on her red robe, and walked through the house as quietly as possible.

When she cracked open the front door, there were no cars or people pulled up. She shut it behind her and sat on the porch swing, swaying gently to the sound of crickets and other night noises.

She called Taako. “How long will I be waiting?”

“Another few minutes, tops, Lulu,” he said, the smile in his voice palpable. “Come on--”

She hung up, dropped her phone into the front pocket of the satin robe, leaned her head back on the swing, and continued swaying.

She thought about calling Barry, but she figured calling him in the early hours of the morning just a few hours after she last saw him was both creepy and clingy. It was something Taako would do, but not her.

A clean-looking jet black car pulled up on the curb, and Taako hopped out pretty quickly, followed by Kravitz, who gently grabbed his wrist to stop him, probably so they could walk together. Lup smiled to herself as she watched them walk towards the doorway hand in hand, both obviously a little disheveled, with the look that comes from being in a Denny’s late at night. Taako had a wild grin on his face, and it looked like Kravitz was trying to hide his.

“Hellllllllloooooo, sister sister,” Taako told her breathlessly, clinging to her arm.

“Hello to you, too,” Lup said. “How was he?” She pointed the question at Kravitz.

“Uh,” Kravitz said. “Fine?”

“Leave him alone, Lululemon,” Taako mumbled. “We had a good time.”

“O-kay,” Lup replied. “Looks like he’s tired out. I better get him to bed.” She turned to Kravitz. “Thank you for babysitting him.”

Taako tried to slap her, but she dodged. Kravitz looked both nervous and amused. They said their goodbyes, and he drove away in his very nice car.

“You’re dead to me,” Taako said.

“I’m dead inside,” Lup replied, standing up. “Now I’m super awake, gotta play some video games, I guess. You need to go to bed.”

“Ugh, whatever,” Taako said. “I’m not sleeping until you are.”

“Suit yourself,” Lup sighed. “Not my fault your pretty little face will have dark circles.”

 

“So, I still don’t really understand how to play this,” Kravitz said, fumbling with the Wiimote.

“Most of it’s just swinging the remote around,” Magnus said. “We gotta pick a sport first.”

“Well, I’ve played tennis before, how about that?”

“Alright, pick a Mii.” Magnus selected himself before realizing they hadn’t bothered to make one for Kravitz. “Uh, use whatever.”

“Who’s ‘Turbovicki?’”

“The goddess of sports,” Lup said, filing her nails carefully. “Vicki is short for Victorious.”

“Isn’t that an old Nickelodeon show?”

“No,” Lup yawned.

“Don’t be mean to my boyfriend,” Taako told her.

“Shhh.”

“I’m also pretty sure the sports goddess is named Nike, not Turbovicki.”

“Wait, were you that one kid who was obsessed with Percy Jackson in middle school?”

“Maybe.”

“ _ Wow. _ ”

Lup poked idly at her DS screen, scratching a Pokemon’s head. A thought occurred to her. “Taako, if I design a trainer-sona, will you make me a Halloween costume for it.”

“Anything for my weaboo sister.”

“Thank you, my weaboo brother who has a Orichimaru cosplay in his closet.”

“Holy shit,” Magnus said, looking at Taako’s offended face.

Taako didn’t have a comeback for once, and he spluttered for a full thirty seconds before saying, “I still have pictures of you in that Pokemon trainer costume and I  _ will not hesitate _ to send them to Barry over Facebook.”

Lup looked him straight in the eye. “You fucking wouldn’t.”

Taako pulled out his phone threateningly, pressing the home button and tapping his password. A small grin grew on his face. Magnus and Kravitz watched him with the intensity of people studying a fencing match. Lup did the only thing she could think of. She tackled him.

“Wha-”

“No!”

“What are you doing?”

“Quit it!”

Kravitz looked concerned. “Do they always do this?” He asked Magnus.

“Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> apologies for sporadic update times ! school is about to start soon and i've gotten busy. thank you all for supporting this fic!


	7. Chapter 7

Johann sat at his desk, grabbing furiously at a box of tissues. He dabbed at his eyes, then continued writing. The piano sheet music was older work of his, and making it sound better was hard enough, but what was really getting him was the violin part. He’d been working on it since he heard about the benefit concert, but adding the piano made it slightly easier. He’d been inspired by some anime Julia and Taako insisted he watch, and he’d thought it was stupid at first, but found himself sobbing at the end. He felt like he hadn’t truly understood the importance of the piano and violin working together as one until the last episode.

The only problems were finishing the music, and finding someone to duet with. He could have asked Lup, he supposed, but she wasn’t really one for composing. They weren’t close at all, but she could jump-start his inspiration sometimes by just randomly picking a note or guessing at a melody. She did have a way for producing emotion with a violin, but she tended to focus more on emotion than accuracy, which could be detrimental sometimes.

_ lup, i’m stuck on writing a violin part, give me a note. _

_ ok lol _

_ how about an e _

He played through it in his head. Didn’t sound too bad, actually. He filled it in the lines, with pencil, just in case.

He wanted to see how it sounded out loud, but it was eleven at night and his parents were getting tetchy about his late night jam sessions.

He penciled in another note. He decided to make it last a few counts, make another soar an octave up. For a small amount of time, make it match the piano’s notes, like a short conversation, repeat that sequence, bring back that catchy phrase from the beginning, add a few new notes, back to the piano conversation. He could feel the productivity rolling off of him. He knew how good he was.

He finished off the sheet with a sweeping grand finale. If nobody cried when it was played, he knew he was doing it wrong.

He checked the time. 12:30 a.m. Definitely too late to show anyone.

 

“You want me to  _ what? _ ” Lup yelled into the phone.

Magnus looked over at her. Her brows were furrowed.

“I am free that night, and I do know a pianist, but… I can’t ask him!” A pause, and garbled speaking. “Reasons, Johann, reasons!”

Pianist? Johann?

Too bad she wasn’t using the landline. He could pick up the one from the other side of the house and listen in.

“If it’s that important, sure, but you owe me big time. Like, maybe a song in my honor, or a cake.”

More garbled noises.

“Yes, money works. You know how I am about that.”

A sigh.

“Fine. Bye.”

Magnus glanced at her. She didn’t look happy. “Everything okay over there?”

Lup sighed again. “No.” She put her phone in her back pocket.

“What’s up?”

“Julia plays piano, doesn’t she?”

“She’s learning, yeah,” Magnus said.

“Great.” Lup stalked off, presumably to her room.   
  


Barry sighed, lost in thought as he drifted towards his cubby, taking out his flute case and music. His mom wanted him to do that benefit concert, the one they did every year, again. He’d played it the year before last, some piano music he couldn’t remember. His mom loved the piano, but said she didn’t have the hands for it, and he loved his mom, and he liked playing piano, so he kept it up. Since his parents’ divorce, he’d found himself playing more and more, trying more complicated pieces, watching media with piano in it, figuring it out. 

For some reason, it reminded him of math, like calculus or something--people thought of it as a clinical process, and he found himself thinking of it like that as often as not, but once you really thought about it, once you realized it wasn’t just meant to solve a problem, that it was meant to figure out find out how far your mind could take it, that was when everything clicked into place, and he found his fingers running smoothly into the correct place, playing it with feeling. It felt good, it felt right, it felt like it was just him and the music, especially when he ended up closing his eyes halfway through like he always did.

He walked towards his chair on the far side of the band hall, placed his case on the seat, and set his folder on the stand. He found himself pacing around the band hall, thinking, when he heard violin in one of the practice rooms.

He looked inside, and saw Lup fumbling with the bow, trying to get it in the right position. She looked like she didn’t know what she was doing.

He opened the door. “Uh, hey?”

Lup dropped her bow, looked up hurriedly, then cursed, a creative string of words. “Hey, Barry,” she said, slowly leaning down to retrieve the bow.

“I’ll get that,” Barry said hurriedly, crouching down to grab it. As he stood back up, he knocked his head against her cheek. “Oh, god, oh god. Are you…”

“I’m fine,” she replied, patting her cheek. “Doesn’t hurt  _ too  _ bad.” She looked away and smiled warmly, and Barry’s head went blank.

He looked at her, and noticed she wasn’t dressed up like usual. Her hair was in a messy bun, streaks flying out from her head. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, man, just don’t feel too good, with the dysphoria and the violin.”

“Dysphoria?”

Lup gave him a weird look. “You saw me shirtless.”

Barry felt his face go red. “And?”

“I don’t have tits,” Lup replied, sharply.

Barry momentarily went deaf. Lup was so good at passing, he couldn’t fathom the idea that she was transgender like him. Though, Magnus was the same way, too, wasn’t he?

“So,” Lup was saying, “you play piano, right?”

“Yeah, uh, yeah,” Barry said.

“You know about the benefit concert, right?”

Barry’s hand twitched. “Yeah, my mom wants me to do it. The one at the college, right? I’ve done it a few times before.”

Lup’s eyes widened. “Really?”

Barry nodded, hoping he didn’t sound self-important.

“That’s great,” Lup shifted to her left foot, leaning to her side, “Because Johann is making-- he wrote a piece to be performed there, but it’s a piano-violin duet, and I don’t know anybody who plays.”

“I can do it,” Barry blurted.

Lup straightened, her eyes bright. “Sweet. Um, we can practice after school, with the keyboard here… Taako will want to pick out clothes stuff, there’s a heads up… um, I think that’s it? I can get you a copy of the music, just let me know if you’re free.”

“I’m usually free,” Barry said. He probably sounded desperate.

“Alright, cool,” Lup said.   
  


Taako went through his clothes rack, pulling out everything in black that wasn’t, as Lup said, ‘a fucking nuisance to look at or wear if it wasn’t for theatre.’ He was surprised that he had a black velvet dress with a sweetheart neckline and a flared A-skirt.

“Oh,  _ hell yes _ ,” Lup said. “I can wear that one velvet choker, and those heels you’re always hounding me to wear.”

“Sounds good, Lululemon. How about this for Barry?” He showed off a blazer, simple white dress shirt, and thin black tie.

Barry shifted in the chair he was sitting in (he refused to sit on Lup’s bed) and pondered the shirt. After a few seconds, he said, “Can I wear jeans with it?”

Taako’s face paled. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No?”

His body stiffened, and his face morphed into a mask of calm. He said, “Okay, Barold.”

“Uh oh,” Lup whispered.

“Of course, I’ll be doing Lup’s makeup, because when she puts on red lipstick she looks like a clown--”

“A  _ cool  _ clown,” Lup interrupted.

Taako sighed. “Remind me why people think you’re the cooler twin.”

“They don’t. They think I’m the hotter one.”

 

“Remind me why I chose to do this,” Lup said, her bow dangling from the hand on her side.

“Money,” Magnus said, checking the watch on his right hand. “The song takes you guys about three minutes. Is that okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, run it again.”

“Fine.” Lup gritted her teeth. “Five, six, seven, eight.”

They played through it again.

“Okay,” Magnus said. “I kind of see the problem now. It feels kind of awkward because you guys are playing really stiffly. Relax a little.”

“How, how do I do that?” Barry asked.

“Unclench your shoulders from your head, for one.”

Barry tried to bring down his shoulders. It… sort of worked.

“That’s… good enough for now. Lup, try a more relaxed position. You stiffen up when you play in that one.”

“Okay.”

“Try it again,” Magnus ordered.

“Five, six, seven, eight.”

Another runthrough.

“That sounds a lot better. Just relax around each other.”

 

The car ride home was quiet, until Magnus spoke up.

“The tension in that practice room was very thick.”

“What kind of tension?” Lup asked, nonchalantly.

“Romantic or sexual, maybe a little bit of both.”

“Lulu, maybe if you tell Barry you want to jump his bones, you guys might play better,” Taako piped in from the backseat.

“ _ Absolutely not,”  _ Lup snapped.

“I think he’s right,” Magnus said, eyes on the road. “Saying something might fix it.”

“Maybe, but it will also be very distracting. Imagine remembering that in the middle of the concert. Barry would fall off the stage.”

“With lust,” Taako said.

“With shock,” Lup corrected him. “I don’t think he’s like that.”

“He isn’t,” Taako said. “But he’s super into you.”

“No, he isn’t,” Lup replied, putting her face in your hands. “I should never have said anything.”

“Hatchi matchi, you’re still sticking to that? I thought you were better than that.”   
  


“That’s a lot of people,” Barry said, looking out at the audience.

“Sure is,” Lup replied absentmindedly, searching for her friends and Merle in the audience. She saw a wide-brimmed hat and waved. Roughly five hands waved back. She smiled. “But the gang’s here.”

“Great,” Barry said. “More cool people to embarrass myself in front of.”

“Shut up,” Lup said.

“How much time left to we have?”

“Well, we’re fourth in the lineup, and the second group is performing right now, so I would say at least a few minutes.”

“Even better,” Barry said.

“We’re gonna do good with this,” Lup said, her jaw set.

Barry turned away.   
  


Julia and Magnus held hands, waiting for Lup and Barry to come up.

“So,” Julia said. “You think they’re gonna do okay?”

“I feel like they would be better if they just kissed,” Taako sighed.

Kravitz smiled awkwardly. “That one time at your house, they sounded good,” he added.

“They are good,” Magnus said. “They just need to relax.”

“Alright,” Julia said, turning to the stage. “Oh! They’re coming up.”

Taako pulled out his phone. “Should I record?”

“No,” Merle said, wielding a giant video camera. “I got it.”

 

Lup smoothed out her dress with one hand, and took the bow out of her case. Barry set the sheet music on the stands, and she looked away from Barry, in his dark jeans and black flannel. He sat down in front of the piano, and looked at her, expectantly.

Lup smiled, as real as she could make it in that moment, and counted them off.   
  


“Hatchi matchi,” Taako mumbled to himself. “Johann would kill to see this.”

The music definitely wasn’t perfect, but the way Barry and Lup played together was smooth. He had a flashback to that anime Julia showed him, the one he knew Johann probably ended up watching, and knew he had done the right thing.

“Do you think she knows?” Magnus whispered in Taako’s ear.

Taako gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head, smiling. He was out twenty dollars, but this was more than worth it, especially with how they kept glancing at one another, not like they hadn’t seen the other before, but like the lights on the outdoor stage had made them see different sides of one another.

The song itself wasn’t simple, but it wasn’t immensely difficult; it was roughly the same level as the marching music they had last season. Lup always played with intensity, but she handled the bow like a knife and she was trying to shred the violin. He didn’t know how Barry usually played, but whatever he was doing, it sounded good, and felt organic. They accented each other, and matched each other’s enthusiasm for the piece.

The music trickled down to a drizzle, and Lup’s playing slowed, and all you could hear was gentle tones of violin as Barry played the piano like the notes were raindrops. They played four notes together, and came together to a stop.

There was a moment of silence, and applause broke out.   
  


Barry and Lup looked at each other, gave a little bow to the audience, and she walked offstage. Lup put her bow and violin in her case, and waited for Barry to catch up.

“Hey,” he said, holding the music folder in his left hand, “We did really good out there, and--” He was cut short by Lup pulling his shoulders towards hers and making their mouths connect for a brief moment before pulling away.

“Sorry,” she mumbled. “I should have asked first.”

“Uh, yeah, you should have, I guess,” Barry said.

“Uh, yeah, I guess I’m just gonna go back with my family?”

Barry swallowed hard. “Me-- me too.” His face was turning red. “Uh, thanks for this, um, I guess, I’ll see you later?” His eyes were a little dilated.

“Look,” Lup said, “Let’s go somewhere and talk.”

”Would... would my car work?” Barry offered tentatively.

”Absolutely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOO BOY sorry this chapter took a long time to come out!! School is terrible and I don’t have a whole lot of time but I’m trying!!! We just have the epilogue and I’m done (with this one at least). Thank you guys for following this fic!


	8. Chapter 8

Barry fumbled with his car keys, finally pressing the right one into the door, opening it, and pressing the button that unlocked all the doors. He turned on the car, turned up the air conditioning, and looked up at Lup. “Is this good?”

“This is perfect,” Lup replied. She climbed into the backseat and shut the door. “Come here.”

Barry awkwardly crawled in with her, sitting by the opposite window, staring at the silent radio.

They sat there for a few minutes, no sound except for the faint music outside and the blow of the air conditioner.

Finally, Lup decided to speak. “I like you, a lot, I think,” she started, “I’m sorry. I know you don’t feel the same way. Sorry about earlier.”

Barry laughed a little, mostly to himself. “Don’t apologize. I’m glad my first kiss came from the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”

Lup felt her face grow hot. “Oh.”

“I’ve liked you for years,” Barry continued. “I didn’t think it would go anywhere.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

They listened to the music playing, something that sounded like a 90s girl band. It was barely audible, but good, and Lup decided to keep it on the soundtrack of “songs I’ve made out to” she kept in her head, and lunged at Barry.

He wove his hands around her neck as their foreheads banged together.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry,” Lup said, laughing and holding her head. “You good?”

“I’m fine, I think,” Barry replied, smiling.

“Ready to try that again?” 

“Yeah, yeah.”

His lips were chapped but soft, and he tried his best to keep up with her mouth, slick with lip gloss and his saliva and her years of experience. She remembered his comment about her being his first kiss, and she slowed down considerably. He was gentle, and shuddered when her tongue flickered into his mouth, momentarily making contact with his teeth. He tried to do the same, his tongue sliding back into his mouth, feeling her teeth against it. Her fingers slipped under his shirt and into his waistband. He gasped, and he felt her smile and kiss him softly again. She kissed his cheek. “We should get going. They’re going to be wondering where we are.” Lup took another look at Barry’s bright red cheeks, dilated eyes, and parted lips. “Are you okay?”

“I think my soul just left my body,” he gasped.

Lup sat up and stared out the window. 

“Was that weird? I’m sorry.”

“No.” She turned back towards him, obviously holding back laughter. “Sorry. It’s been a good--” She burst into hysteric giggles. “I guess we can keep going for a few more minutes. Come here.”

 

“How’s this?” Barry asked.

Lup took another bite of the chalupa. “This is amazing. You did so good.”

Taako came up behind her and took a bite with her fork. “Oh yeah, bubbuleh, this is it.”

“Is this it, chief?” Lup teased.

“As chief, I can confirm that this is it.”

“Thanks,” Barry said. “I appreciate it.”

“You’re very welcome,” Lup replied, pecking him on the cheek.

“Gross,” Taako said, sticking his tongue out.

“Like you have room to talk.”

“Sorry, I have to oppress the straights.” He bumped hips with his sister. “Have fun with cooking night, Kravitz and I will be playing video games.” Taako flashed a peace sign and swayed his hips walking away.

“Let’s see what else you can do,” Lup told Barry.

“Are you exploiting me for free food? I think it may be working,” Barry said, kissing her nose.

“They say the way to the heart is through the stomach or something like that, right?”

“I think it’s a Chinese proverb.”

“Chinese food is great. They’re so right.”

“You’re so pretty when you talk about food.”

“You’re so handsome when you do anything ever.”

Lup pushed Barry against the counter, his hands tangled themselves in her hair, and they made out, right there, in the middle of the kitchen. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am SO SORRY for the wait, life has been kicking my ass and i typed this up as soon as i could!! it's not quite what i wanted but it met my expectations and i hope it's good enough for y'all!! i might be cooking up another thing soon that i'm really excited for though so stay tuned and remember my tumblr is @iolith !!! i love you guys thank you for your love and support!! i read every single comment and they make me so happy!


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